Sandra‘s Closet

One of the biggest make-up trends for summer is a supernatural look with the emphasis on the lips. A radiant skin with glowing cheeks is important. The lips are coloured with see-through lipsticks and glosses in sorbet-coloured hues. Vibrant and colourful are the nails in eye-popping shades like blue and green. Nail lacquer has really become a fashion statement like a must-have accessory.

Here is all you need for a supernatural look for summer that is easy and fast to achieve, that will make you look much younger and that works perfect on hot days. If you like, you can add a touch of mascara. Please find herewith my favourite products for this season.

LoL, Sandra

1 This spring Estee Lauder has stepped up their nail game by introducing sixteen nail polishes in a new long lasting formula.

The king of color, Creative Director, Tom Pecheux has created the mesmerizing shades of which eight are limited, among them the extravagant hues: Wicked Green and Wild Blue. My must-haves! CHF 34

Wicked Green

Wild Blue

2 Dior Summer 2011 is Electric Tropics, and the stars of the collection are two bronzing powders, called Diorskin Nude Glow Healthy Glow Summer Powder.

The one that I use is the lighter one with a soft pink tone, so-called Aurora (001), see photo to the left.

The darker powder is named Sunset (002) and is slightly peach-coloured.

One-shots

CHF 68.50 each.

3 Dior’s Electric Tropics Collection also includes two catwalk duo nail polishes.

These are the vibrant orange Aloha (638) that I wear below and the bright jelly pink Paradise (558). Each is packed with a super glossy topcoat to add a special flash of shine to your summertime nails.

One-shots

Available now for CHF 54 each duo.

4 Dior Addict Crystal Gloss – Jelly Gloss Spotlight Shine comes straight from the runway, it features a featherweight formula with a flash-plumping, “spotlight shine” effect.

Shades Available:

Sweet Peach (047) – the one I use
Luminescent Peach (087)
Luminescent Rose (077)
Sweet Rose (037)

CHF 44 each

5 Lancôme’s new L’Absolu Nu is a bare lip sensation!

Enriched with enhancing pigments to reveal the radiance of beautifully replenished lips, it enhances your natural lip tone in a veil of shiny, translucent colour while leaving them moistured for up to 8 hours. My favourite tone is 302 Voile de Rose.

CHF 44

6 A flawless complexion and peach-soft skin! Moisturization and radiance in one easy step.

HydraQuench Tinted Moisturizer by Clarins continously moisturizes and colours the complexion with a transparent finish, giving it a natural radiance and healthy glow. It protects against UV rays (SPF 6, 100% mineral filter), pollution and free radicals. Available in several shades to suit all skin tones.

Available starting Mid April for CHF 49

7 Colour Quench Lip Balm by Clarins provides you with long-lasting shine and moisture.

The best is the fruity flavour that makes you want to lick your lips all the time. This ultra-shine gloss helps your lips to appear fuller and more beautiful day after day.

My personal favourites are:

04 Rasberry Smoothie
05 Delicious Plum
06 Sweet Papaya.

CHF 26 each, available Mid April in 8 different shades.

8 Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm by Clarins – an innovation from the Clarins Laboratories.

This is an amazing product which combines crystalline transparent colour with the repairing benefits of a lip balm. The minute you apply it, you feel a unique sensation of softness and comfort. Trust me, it works!

Available in three colours:

01 Crystal Coral
02 Crystal
03 Crystal Red

CHF 35 each

Yesterday I showed you the best dot tights for this season. They are a very good investment. This strong trend is staying for F/W 2011. Get ready to cover yourself in all manners of dots. On coats, dresses and on the legs, right on the spot and so hot!

Wolford (see photos below) offers great dot designs through all of their product groups for F/W 2011, from the Bonny dots tights to the Bonny stay-ups. Modern dots can also be found on lingerie in the muted colours of nude and black and in their ready-to-wear line.

Put on your best dots!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Wolford

Revived already on the last season’s runways, the hype sees no end – dot tights are still hot. The chic, French hosiery is the perfect lightweight alternative to heavy textured tights, these mostly-sheer hose provide ample leg coverage and a large dose of fun!

The trick to pulling off polka dot legs is to pair them with an equally bold patterned dress or top. My favourite ones are by Wolford and Falke.
(Available in different colours, tights and knee-highs).

On the photo above you can see me wearing the Rebecca tights in sahara/black, green suede pumps by YSL.

If you like the pieces, you better start stocking up your closet. Both versions are seasonal and won’t be available for long.

LoL, Sandra

Get your sword and parrot ready for some nail fun in May with the new OPI Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection featuring six limited edition cool pastel lacquer shades and the treasure trove, so-called Silver Shatter top coat, a crackling shimmery two-texture silver finish, following on from the success of OPI’s Black Shatter top coat.

Disney’s highly-anticipated fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise is directed by Rob Marshall and features an all-star cast, including Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz.

Jump on-board the Black Pearl to find your own treasure with those new shades:

Sparrow Me the Drama, a cool shade of pink. Steady as She Rose, a pearly pale pink. Skull & Glossbones, a desirable nude with a hint of pale khaki grey.

Mermaid’s Tears, a sea foam pale pastel green. Stranger Tides, uncharted shade of oyster. Planks A Lot, a lavender purple shade.

And apart from The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides collection, OPI has more exciting news. Due to its big success, the Shatter line will be expanded in May with the addition of three new trendsetting shades: Blue, Navy and Turquoise.

With nautical hues of cobalt, indigo and sapphire, these blues provide the perfect look for summer nails in one simple step. Inspired by graffiti art, Shatter leaves behind a crackled, two-texture finish when painted over any dry OPI hue. Adding top coat takes Shatter from matte to glossy in seconds.
Cannot wait to dip my finger nails in those hues!

LoL, Sandra

My dear readers, let me introduce you to a new contest: Rock your colour with Sebastian Professional. The well-known hair care company has teamed up with Maja Ivarsson, lead singer for the Swedish new wave band The Sounds to promote their newest product so-called Color Ignite.

Now it is on you! From head to toe, your style is unstoppable! Create a rockin’ look that lets your glamour and attitude loose. Be sure to include at least one Color Ignite color care product. The platinum-tressed star who has recently been named „Hottest Woman in Rock“ will be judging the contest entries herself.

This is your chance to win a $1000 Visa gift card and a gift basket from Sebastian Professional. Contest ends April 17, 2011 at midnight PST. Good luck!

LoL, Sandra

THE CONTEST HAS ENDED!

This weekend, I went to see the exhibition of Jani Leinonen, one of my favourite artists, at Galerie Gmurzynska. The Finnish 33 year-old rising star presented nothing less than the kidnapping and execution of Ronald McDonald at Paradeplatz in Zurich.
„The Hamburger company’s advertising figure is a symbol of capitalism and also a clown. That’s what makes it interesting to me as an artist“, says Leinonen.

Jani was good for groundbreaking headlines in the beginning of this year when he and his friends calling themselves the „Food Liberation Army – FLA“ stole a Ronald McDonald statue from a McDonald’s restaurant in Helsinki.

In an Al Quaeda-style video, they staged the beheading of the famous symbol and tried to force the American chain to answer some questions about how it produces its products.  The fast food company refused any dialogue. The videos of the kidnapping were viewed more than 700,000 times on You Tube.

Leinonen, who definitely knows how to play the game, is nevertheless a true professional when it comes to markting himself. He even has bigger plans to set up a park full of Ronalds but McDonald’s refused to sell him the statues.

The charming guy from Helsinki took the idea of a funeral even further. Tombstones with iconic Louis Vuitton logo prints or the packaging of YSL Paris were placed in the beginning of the exhibition. I have to admit that I had never thought about how my tombstone should look like, assuming it will hopefully take a long time until it is needed, but I am absolutely tempted to have some logo print going on there.

Jani Leinonen with hotelier Andrea Kracht and his wife Gigi, who exhibited his enormous cereal box installations last year at her famous Art in the Park event in the beautiful garden of the Baur au Lac.

Leinonen has three main objectives for his future: First, he wants to create a piece of art that will be stolen one day from a museum. Second, an artwork of his should be so good that it will get copied in Shanghai. And last but not least, he wants to become so famous that Damien Hirst’s mother knows him.

Pretty cool! And probably not so unlikely… I am better keeping the inscription he wrote for me. It might be worth a fortune one day.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Aerin Lauder, 40, heiress, and, more importantly, the highly visible face and senior executive of the Estée Lauder corporation, has announced the creation of her own luxury lifestyle brand that will sell accessories, home products, fashion and jewelry beginning early 2012. Some of the jewelry is said to be based on pieces from her grandmother’s private collection.

The new Aerin brand is aimed at a luxury customer, specifically, who “wants things made simple.” In addition, she is also launching her own beauty label that will also be marketed by the Lauder division. Under the arrangement, Aerin Lauder will continue to be actively involved in the Estée Lauder brand, serving as creative consultant and becoming its Style and Image Director. She will also continue as the brand’s global ambassador and spokesperson, a position she has held successfully for many years and will remain a member of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Board of Directors, which she joined in 2004.

I am pretty convinced that she has a great chance to become successful given her support team: Anna Wintour will serve as adviser and NBC Universal head Jeff Zucker will consult.

Her style is beautiful, simple and elegant. Get the look of the American trendsetter and enjoy her beautiful home in the Hamptons. Below you can read her style shortlist.

LoL, Sandra

• Entertaining in East Hampton: “We like to barbecue and sit at a long candlelit picnic table by the pool. The kids run around playing flashlight tag while the grown-ups linger at the table.”

• Entertaining in Manhattan: “It’s key to put together a great guest list. We always have plenty of fresh flowers and serve comfort food everyone enjoys: risotto, lamb chops, mashed potatoes, chocolate.”

• Decorating tips: 1. “The easiest way to freshen up a room is a new paint color.” 2. “I update the dining room by finding a fabulous new fabric. I’ll have it made into a tablecloth or just fold a length of it and run it down the center of the table.” 3. “Make the most of children’s artwork. I use terrific frames and paperweights from the Conran Shop to showcase my sons’ art.”

• Flower shops: Zezé in Manhattan (“Great for orchids, vases, bowls, and gifts for friends”); and Bridgehampton Florist at the beach (“Beautiful vases, hurricane lamps, and objects”).

• Shops: In the Hamptons: Mecox Gardens (“Top-notch baskets, lamps, and coral”); the Shell Shop in Sag Harbor (“Where I found the shells in my bathroom, and they have lovely coral objects”); R. E. Steele Antiques (“Packed with goodies—the best resource for chests and cocktail tables”); and Neo-Studio in Sag Harbor (“Amazing lamps and glass pieces”). In Manhattan: Barneys New York (“Especially for throws and glasses”); Bergdorf Goodman’s home floor; Crate & Barrel (“Great simple design”); the Calvin Klein store; John Derian (“Love his napkins, plates, and paperweights”); Anthropologie (“Wonderful style; a sense of fantasy”); Archivia Books (“Amazing vintage and new books”); and Pace Prints.

• Escapes: Palm Beach (“I’ve been going there since I was born. I still check out the fantastic antiques and vintage clothing stores on South Dixie Highway.”); and Paris (“I love floating around Paris. I’m always looking for chandeliers there. I have an obsession with them. But I’ve always said that even if you have no furnishings at all, if you have a chandelier, you can create a special atmosphere.”) (Source: Elle Décor)

Well-known motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha and luxury fashion house Hermés have joined forces to produce the very unique concept bike named VMAX. With its four-cylinder engine and brushed metalwork, the VMAX is the very epitome of the muscle bike. Now the 180-year old French company, with its origine in equestrian saddle making, has returned to its roots and adorned the fabulous motorbike with the finest leather materials, covering everything from the headlight cover to the exhaust pipe.The idea was, according to Yamaha and Hermès, to “reinforce the sculptural lines of this unique object and underline its emotional power.”

So how do you go about buying one, assuming you’ve got the cash? It’s a goddamn beautiful bike. You can order the VMAX 1700 for 44500€TTC with Yamaha. The delivery is expected 1 to 4 months after having placed the order. On request, Hermès can add their flair.

For my Zurich based readers, good news, the bike is at the moment on display in the Hermès shop, Bahnhofstr.28A.

LoL, Sandra

Cartier is launching a new leather goods collection: A cruise version of the Marcello de Cartier tote bag that sails through fashion in natural mode. Available in canvas combined with watersnake skin, it is ready for the sun.

If you like to invest in style and timeless pieces, the Cabas Marcello de Cartier tote bags are the right choice. Perfect for a day at the beach or to finish off your casual summer look. 
Available now for $850 (excl.tax).

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cartier

Christian Dior admired his beloved muse, Mitzah Bricard, as much for her refined and distinguished taste as for her mysterious personality that inspired him throughout his career.

Legend has it that Mitzah used to wear a panther print chiffon scarf at her wrist to hide a scar. Fascinated by her elegance, Mr Dior decided to include this magnificent Jungle motif in his collections from 1947 onwards.

“Madame Bricard is one of the rare people for whom elegance is their sole reason for living,”
Christian Dior.

The Jungle panther print corresponded perfectly to the world of Haute Couture. It was reproduced numerous times in chiffon, taffeta and silk and as become an emblematic House reference.

In 2011, Dior presents the famous print in a limited edition make-up collection composed of a limited edition numbered eyeshadow palette and two shades of nail varnish (912 Ebony – 622 Camel). Thus the Mitzah legend lives on at Dior.

Discover below how to apply the Mitzah palette eyeshadows:

1. The camel shade emphasises eye colour. Apply to the lower eyelid then blend gently upwards. Apply also to the lower lash line.

2. The Ebony shade intensifies  the eyes. Apply it along the upper and lower lash lines. Blend with the camel shade.

3. The Nude shade brightens  and opens the eyes. Apply to the inner corner of the eye.

Photos: © Courtesy of Dior, © Sandra Bauknecht

In Switzerland the collection will launch Mid April.
The limited Mitzah palette is CHF 135. The two limited nail polishes are CHF 37 each.

LoL, Sandra